Syracuse lacrosse team adds even more depth with return of Desko, Drew

Dick Blume/The Post StandardSyracuse lacrosse attackman Tim Desko chases Princeton goalie Tyler Fiorito on the ride Saturday night at the New Meadowlands Stadium.Syracuse, NY -- There was plenty of good news Saturday night for the Syracuse lacrosse team, which played its best all-around game of the season in a 13-4 victory over Princeton. Near the top of the list was the return to the lineup of sophomores Tim Desko and Kevin Drew after lengthy absences.

Each stepped onto the field - Desko at attack and Drew at defensive midfield - without missing a beat. Desko, who missed four games after being assaulted outside a downtown estabishment last month, scored two second-quarter goals and assisted on a later one. Drew, out since he suffered a broken collarbone March 7 at Virginia, took up his usual spot as a wing on faceoffs and used his size (6-4, 180) and tremendous speed to keep Princeton midfielders in check and help SU clear the ball (SU was perfect in that area in the first half and finished the game 18-for-20).

"Tim came out and got those goals, had a chance for another one," head coach John Desko said of his son. "And Kevin really shores us up at the defensive end of the field. It was nice to see him run the ball on the clear again. It was kind of refreshing. We hadn’t seen that in a few weeks. It kind of reminded me of the Matt Abbott-to-be kind of guy. So, it was good. It really helps our depth. I think it helped us offensively and defensively."

Both players should be back on the field at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Ithaca when the Orange (8-1) faces Cornell (8-2) in a rematch of last season's Division I title game.